Trolley conductor and suspension means therefor



June 30, 1925. 1,543,134

P. G. SWARS TROLLEY CONDUCTOR AND SUSPENSION MEANS THEREFOR Filed own, 1923 H lf WfiTN ESSES: INVENTOR P Ci 8 a WM) 7 BYau wars 3W ATTORNEY Patented June 30, 1925 UNIT-Ev Parser oFricE.

PAUL G. SWARS, (1 F PITTSBURGEI; PENNSYLVANIA, IASSIGITOR 'TO- IWESTINGHGUSE ELECTRIC & MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A (SGRPURATIZON OF PENNSYLVANIA.

TROLLEY CONDUCTOR AND SUSPENSION MEANS THEREFOR.

Application filed. October 27, 1923.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, PAUL G. Swans, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Trolley Conductors and Suspension Means Therefor, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to overhead systems for electric railways and particularly to trolley conductors employed in such systems and means for supporting the same.

One object of my invention is to provide a trolley conductor in which the expansion caused by heat in warm weather may be permitted to develop in a vertical as well as in a horizontal direction and thus lessen the effect of the expansion in the latter direction.

Another object of my inventionvis to provide a trolley conductor that will tend to lie in a practically horizontal line and not fall in a loop between the points at which it is supported.

Another object of my invention is to provide a trolley conductor and supporting means therefor of such form that the trolley conductor may be suspended from a messenger cable and be supported therefrom in a simple and inexpensive manner.

Other objects of my invention will become evident from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a View, in side elevation, of a section of my improved overhead construction between two contiguous supports;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view, in side elevation, of my improved trolley conductor and the means for supporting it from the messenger cable; and

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a portion of my improved trolley conductor. In Fig. 1, I have shown a portion of a catenary overhead system for electric railways in which steel towers 1 and 2, for example, are-employed to support lateral arms 3 and 4, respectively, bearing insulators 5 and 6, upon which a messenger cable 7 is suitably supported.

A trolley conductor 11 is suspended below the messenger cable 7 and is supported there from by means of wires 9 that are respec- Serial No. 671,201.

tively laced through holes 10 (see Figs. 2

and 3) in the upper portion of the trolley conductor 11 and have their ends fastened to the messenger cable 7 by means of spaced fastening clips 8. The trolley conductor 11 is thus flexibly supported at suitable intervals by the independent V-shaped loops 9, thus freely permitting vertical as well as horizontal movement by reason of temperature or other conditions.

The trolley conductor 11, as shown in Fig. 3, is preferably made of copper and is fabricated into the form of a ribbon having a web or middle portion 12 and being provided with a rounded wearing or contact portion 13 on its lower edge and with a smaller rounded stiffening portion 141 on its upper edge.

It will thus be seen that I have devised an improved form of trolley conductor, for use in overhead line construction for electric railways, which quickly dissipates the heat generated therein, which provides for absorption of expansion caused by heat in a vertical as well as in a longitudinal direction, which provides a stiffer and straighter surface with which the current collector may make contact and which may be sup ported in a more simple and inexpensive manner than any trolley conductor in the prior art, in so far as I am aware.

I do not wish to be restricted to the specific structural details or arrangement of parts herein set forth, as various modifications thereof may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention. I desire, therefore, that only such limitations shall be imposed as are indicated in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention 1. In a catenary system for electric railways, a supporting cable, a trolley conductor of ribbon shape, and means for securing the trolley conductor to the supporting cable comprising a member that extends through the trolley conductor and is supported by the cable.

2. In a catenary system for electric railways, a supporting cable, a trolley conductor of ribbon shape, and means for supporting the trolley conductor comprising a wire that extends through its upper edge and is fastened at each end to the supporting cable.

3. In a catenary system for electric railways, a supporting cable, a trolley conductor ways, a supporting cable, a trolley conductor having apertures, and a plurality of V -shape Wires respectively extending through the apertures and secured to the cable for supporting the conductor.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 22nd day of October 1923.

' PAUL e. SWARS. 

